Reading Reticule Roundup February 22

I am moving this weekend, so this post may be late in getting out next week.

Speaking of books, that is why you’re here, after all. Looks we have another great week of releases, sales, freebies, and pre-orders!

*Please note: I use universal links which may require an extra step before going to the site and marketplace of your choice. Some promotions may not be available in all countries.

New Releases

Mail Order Bride: A Pride and Prejudice Modern Adaptation by Ansley Brogan

Elizabeth Bennett visits her sister, Jane Bingley, a recent mail order bride at her new home in the Wyoming Territory during the late 1800s. Upon her arrival, she runs into William Darcy, the Bingley’s rich next door neighbor, quite literally. After being berated for events that were not her fault, it sets off a rocky series of events that leave the two inexplicably drawn to one another. However, Elizabeth’s visit has a time limit before she, too, will have to make her debut as a mail order bride. Will her fate be sealed or will William forget about his past betrayals and learn to love again?

An Insulting Proposal: A Pride and Prejudice Comedy by Phyllis Ellison

A comedic take on Mr Darcy’s insulting proposal of marriage to Elizabeth Bennet.

Mr. Darcy’s Scheme by Julia Graham

Fitzwilliam Darcy had loved Elizabeth Bennet and decided while in Kent to prove it to her. She mistook his action and rejected him. Elizabeth vowed never to wed the proud Mr. Darcy. But when her father pressed her into a repugnant engagement three years later, she accepted the alternative which Darcy proposed. A false engagement turned into a real marriage and Elizabeth could not imagine herself more happy, until she learned of the real reason Darcy had been so eager to marry her.

Finding Netherfield by Olivia Kane

Caroline Bingley has her heart set on becoming the wife of Fitzwilliam Darcy and the mistress of Pemberley. To hasten the match, she wants her brother Bingley to lease an estate close to Pemberley. But when Bingley blindsides Caroline and leases Netherfield instead, her plans to reel in Darcy start to spin out of control. And when Fitzwilliam Darcy falls for the captivating Elizabeth Bennet, Caroline sees her dreams of Pemberley slipping out of her hands. It will require drastic action to separate Bingley and Darcy from the Bennet women, but Caroline Bingley is a determined young lady used to getting her way, and she will stop at nothing in her quest to become a Darcy.

Finding Netherfield is a lighthearted, comic novel; in the spirit of the time frame, it is a genteel romance where only the tea is steamy.

Nuance & Novelty: Pride and Prejudice Told from Kitty Bennet’s Eyes: Book 4 (Kitty Bennet’s Adventure) by M. Mitt

When happily ever after is obtained, there is the main question: what happens next? Watching her two eldest sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, marry two of the greatest gentlemen in England, Kitty wonders what her identity is in the world. Recovering from knowing that she cannot marry the man she loves, she chooses to look for happiness wherever she can. Along the way, she meets Mr. Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who takes a particular interest in her. Going to London, with the Darcys, Kitty experiences true friendship, intrigue, and even nefarious schemes by sordid characters. Here comes the story of Kitty Bennet, in a unique tale of happily ever after!

Three Sisters from Hertfordshire 3-in-1 Collection by Meg Osborne

Three Books in One!

A Trip to Pemberley

Mary Bennet is used to being overlooked, and with three sisters married and a fourth intent on becoming so, she resigns herself to life as the stay-at-home spinster daughter to her increasingly needy parents. When she receives a letter from her sister Elizabeth, inviting her to stay at Pemberley, she jumps at the chance for a change, little realising what fate has in store.

Curate Robert Ashton is extracting his wayward brother from yet another inn when Mary Bennet crosses his path and he is struck by her gentleness and simplicity. He can scarcely believe his luck when this pretty young lady turns out to be staying at neighbouring Pemberley, the guest of Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy. He is determined to know her better, but will the interference of his brother help or hinder quiet Robert’s progress?

An Assembly in Bath

Kitty Bennet has broken free of Longbourn and her sisters, and is enjoying all that London, and now Bath, have to offer in the company of her aunt and uncle. Catching the eye of a handsome captain, and with encouragement from a new friend, she feels certain that this might be her chance at a future away from Longbourn, and a chance to avoid being the last sister left unmarried.

In Bath on the orders of his doctor, Mr Matthew Knight is struggling with his sudden re-introduction to society when he crosses paths with an old friend and loses his heart to a new acquaintance, Miss Catherine Bennet. But how can an unknown gentleman with a bad leg and a cane hope to compare to a heroic captain from His Majesty’s Navy?

An Escape from London

Caroline Bingley is trapped in London with her newly-married brother and his wife, watching, miserably, as her future prospects for marriage and happiness shrink. When her brother invites a new acquaintance into their home she is immediately on her guard, for the gentleman puts her on edge, if indeed he can be called gentleman at all.

John Ashton has made it as far as London in his quest to travel abroad. He is determined not to forfeit the promise he made to his brothers in Derbyshire: he is changed, and he tarries only long enough to make arrangements for his ongoing journey. However, he does not foresee crossing paths with Mr Bingley and his wife, nor being swept into their circle, and he certainly does not foresee the amusing diversion of Caroline Bingley. The pair may not be in love, but they can certainly help one another, and in so doing might change the course of both of their futures…

After the events of Pride and Prejudice that brought Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy together, can a certain Bingley sister find her Happily-Ever-After?

A Wife for Mr. Darcy by Jane Stephens

With his place in society assured and an estate most gentlemen could only dream of, Fitzwilliam Darcy has never been in any hurry to marry.

Until now.

Darcy learns that he must take a wife in order to satisfy a condition in his father’s will. He cannot refuse: he will lose Pemberley if he does.

After much dismay at his predicament, Darcy finally feels hope again when he meets a spirited young lady who would be the perfect partner in a marriage of convenience. Not for a moment does he doubt she will agree: after all, what young lady in her right mind would pass up the chance to marry such an eligible gentleman?

But Darcy has never met a young lady like Miss Elizabeth Bennet…

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Pre-Orders

*You cannot pre-order a book via Kindle Unlimited. However, that does not mean the publisher intends to put the book on vendors outside of Amazon. You will have to search on your own.

Pride and Prejudice: Illustrations by Marjolein Bastin (Marjolein Bastin Classics Series) Illustrated by Marjolein Bastin

Gems of literature in a luxurious and unique design by Marjolein Bastin.

The Marjolein Bastin Classics Series is a chance to rediscover classic literature in collectible, luxuriously illustrated volumes. For the first time ever, the internationally celebrated artwork of Marjolein Bastin graces the pages of a timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice. Beyond bringing these stories to life, Bastin’s series adds elaborately designed ephemera, such as four-color maps, letters, family trees, and sheet music. Whether an ideal gift for an Austen or Brontë devotee or a treat for yourself, The Marjolein Bastin Classics Series, as a set or individually purchased, is perfect for anyone who feels a connection to these enduring literary gems.

A Love to Remember by Lily Bernard

An Affair to Remember meets Pride and Prejudice…Elizabeth Bennet is literally thrown into the arms of Fitzwilliam Darcy aboard a ship crossing the Atlantic; seven weeks later they are in love and betrothed. In order to test their love, they decide to wait six months before seeing each other again. Before they can reunite there is a terrible accident, and a judgment is made that might keep our dear couple apart forever. When the reunion did not take place, can Darcy find Elizabeth and tell her how he still feels about her? Will Elizabeth ever allow him back into her life?

Jane Austen’s Lost Letters (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries Book 14) by Jane K. Cleland

On a crisp October Monday afternoon, Josie returns to her business, Prescott’s Antiques & Auctions, after a lunch hour walk taking in New Hampshire’s autumn foliage to find an elegant older woman waiting to see her.
Veronica Sutton introduces herself as an old friend of Josie’s father, who had died twenty years earlier. Veronica seems fidgety, and after only a few minutes, hands Josie a brown paper-wrapped package, about the size of a shoebox, and leaves.

Mystified, Josie opens the package, and gasps when she sees what’s inside: a notecard bearing her name—in her father’s handwriting—and a green leather box. Inside the box are two letters in transparent plastic sleeves. The first bears the salutation, “My dear Cassandra,” the latter, “Dearest Fanny.” Both are signed “Jane Austen.” Could her father have really accidentally found two previously unknown letters by one of the world’s most beloved authors—Jane Austen? Reeling, Josie tries to track down Veronica, but the woman has vanished without a trace.

Josie sets off on the quest of a lifetime to learn what Veronica knows about her father and to discover whether the Jane Austen letters are real. As she draws close to the truth, she finds herself in danger, and learns that some people will do anything to keep a secret—even kill.

Images of Elizabeth and other stories: An anthology of Pride and Prejudice variations by Margaret Gale

A novella and four short stories based on the immortal characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
‘Images of Elizabeth’ follows Darcy from Elizabeth’s rejection of his hand to finally winning her heart. ‘Moments in Time’ focuses on key moments in the story from various perspectives. ‘After the Proposal’ asks what Darcy was thinking as he left the Hunsford parsonage, Elizabeth’s rejection ringing in his ears. ‘A Groom’s Tale’ takes us to Pemberley at the time of old Mr Darcy’s death. ‘Pillow Talk’ considers an unexpected challenge to marital felicity. Together, these five stories provide a feast of entertainment as we revisit our favourite characters and sneak a peek inside their private thoughts.
Another good read from the author of ‘Words Spoken In Anger’.

The Other Bennet Sister: A Novel by Janice Hadlow

*Paperback only is on pre-order. Other editions released in 2020.

Mary, the bookish ugly duckling of Pride and Prejudice’s five Bennet sisters, emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own.

What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of Janice Hadlow’s The Other Bennet Sister, a debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Jane Austen fans.

Ultimately, Mary’s journey is like that taken by every Austen heroine. She learns that she can only expect joy when she has accepted who she really is. She must throw off the false expectations and wrong ideas that have combined to obscure her true nature and prevented her from what makes her happy. Only when she undergoes this evolution does she have a chance at finding fulfillment; only then does she have the clarity to recognize her partner when he presents himself―and only at that moment is she genuinely worthy of love.

Mary’s destiny diverges from that of her sisters. It does not involve broad acres or landed gentry. But it does include a man; and, as in all Austen novels, Mary must decide whether he is the truly the one for her. In The Other Bennet Sister, Mary is a fully rounded character―complex, conflicted, and often uncertain; but also vulnerable, supremely sympathetic, and ultimately the protagonist of an uncommonly satisfying debut novel.

Miss Austen: A Novel of the Austen Sisters by Gill Hornby

*Paperback only is on pre-order. Other editions released in 2020.

Whoever looked at an elderly lady and saw the young heroine she once was?

England, 1840. Two decades after the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen returns to the village of Kintbury and the home of her family friends, the Fowles. In a dusty corner of the vicarage, there is a cache of Jane’s letters that Cassandra is desperate to find. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?

Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra’s vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane’s brilliantly reimagined lost letters, Miss Austen is the untold story of the most important person in Jane’s life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit, Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as captivating as any Austen heroine

Along for the Ride (Frolic and Romance Book 1) by Alix James

In the game of love, who will have the last flirt?

Fitzwilliam Darcy has been successfully resisting the charms of Elizabeth Bennet. Mostly. But a plea from his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, has put Darcy in a precarious position. In order to help his cousins find happiness, he has to pretend a romantic diversion of his own, with the woman who is tearing down his last defenses.

Elizabeth Bennet is accustomed to the ridiculous. Whether it is an absurd relative or a nonsensical noble, she allows very few things to rattle her. But she is properly astonished when Mr. Darcy, the most disagreeable man in the world, shocks her with a most unconventional proposal. 

She cannot pass up such a sublime opportunity, and immediately sets out to unnerve the proud man from Derbyshire. But Mr. Darcy has hidden talents of his own, and soon, Elizabeth finds herself almost outmatched in the art of teasing. 

As they each vie for the upper hand in this romantic contest, will they conquer each other at last? Or will their victory be sabotaged by their hearts?

Along for the Ride is a sweet Regency variation of approximately 20,000 words.

Jane Austen’s Best Friend: The Life and Influence of Martha Lloyd by Zoe Wheddon

All fans of Jane Austen everywhere believe themselves to be best friends with the beloved author and this book shines a light on what it meant to be exactly that. Jane Austen’s Best Friend: The Life and Influence of Martha Lloyd offers a unique insight into Jane’s private inner circle. Through this heartwarming examination of an important and often overlooked person in Jane’s world, we uncover the life-changing force of their friendship.

Each chapter details the fascinating facts and friendship-forming qualities that tied Jane and Martha together. Within these pages we will relive their shared interests, the hits and misses of their romantic love lives, their passion for shopping and fashion, their family histories, their lucky breaks and their girly chats. This book offers a behind-the-scenes tour of the shared lives of a fascinating pair and the chance to deepen our own bonds in ‘love and friendship’ with them both.

Jane Austen at Home: A Biography by Lucy Worsley

*Paperback only is on pre-order. Other editions released in 2017.

“Worsley offers us much that Austen’s admirers wish to know…with humor and poignancy and common sense, just as Austen would have wished.” ―Amy Bloom, New York Times Book Review

Take a trip back to Jane Austen’s world and the many places she lived as historian Lucy Worsley visits Austen’s childhood home, her schools, her holiday accommodations, the houses–both grand and small–of the relations upon whom she was dependent, and the home she shared with her mother and sister towards the end of her life. In places like Steventon Parsonage, Godmersham Park, Chawton House and a small rented house in Winchester, Worsley discovers a Jane Austen very different from the one who famously lived a “life without incident.”

Worsley examines the rooms, spaces and possessions which mattered to her, and the varying ways in which homes are used in her novels as both places of pleasure and as prisons. She shows readers a passionate Jane Austen who fought for her freedom, a woman who had at least five marriage prospects, but–in the end–a woman who refused to settle for anything less than Mr. Darcy.

Illustrated with two sections of color plates, Lucy Worsley’s Jane Austen at Home is a richly entertaining and illuminating new book about one of the world’s favorite novelists and one of the subjects she returned to over and over in her unforgettable novels: home.

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Free Finds

The Paradise Project by Suzie Andres

Have you ever kept a New Year’s Resolution? Elizabeth Benning hasn’t, but she’s determined that this will be her year. Like Elizabeth Bennet before her, Liz Benning doesn’t work, lives at home, and takes pride in her resourcefulness, but when she resolves on a yearlong project to be happier, it looks like her ambition has outrun her abilities…Enter a love interest more conniving than Wickham, a blonde cold enough to freeze out Caroline Bingley, and Elizabeth’s paradise project is heading for disaster. She’s never been so unhappy, but if she can discover which hero is straight out of her beloved Jane Austen, she might yet take the prize for happiest ever after.

The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen: An uplifting, comedic tale of time travel and friendship (The Austen Adventures Book 1) by Ada Bright and Cass Grafton

When a time travelling Jane Austen gets stuck in modern-day Bath it’s up to avid Janeite Rose Wallace to save her… because she’s the only one who knows that Jane exists!

Rose Wallace’s world revolves around all things Austen, and with the annual festival in Bath – and the arrival of dishy archaeologist, Dr Aiden Trevellyan – just around the corner, all is well with the world…

But then a mysterious woman who bears more than a passing resemblance to the great author moves in upstairs, and things take a disastrous turn. Rose’s new neighbour is Jane Austen, whose time travel adventure has been sabotaged by a mischievous dog, trapping her in the twenty-first century.

Rose’s life is instantly changed – new home, new job, new friends – but she’s the only one who seems to have noticed! To right the world around her, she will have to do whatever it takes to help Jane get back home to write Rose’s beloved novels. Because a world without Mr Darcy? It’s not worth living in!

And Then Love: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Novella (Willow Hall Romance Book 1) by Leenie Brown

She needs a rescue. He’s her only hope.

When Lucy Tolson’s father dies, she must either marry quickly or go to live with her uncle. For Lucy, there is only one choice, and his name is Philip Dobney.

To be presented with an offer of marriage from a long time friend is shocking to be sure! But the thought is not unwelcome. After all, Philip, who has recently received the living at Kympton, is in need of a wife, and Lucy is more than qualified to be a parson’s wife.

However, what seems to be a simple solution soon becomes complicated when Lucy’s uncle and Wickham show up with plans to gain enough money to cover debts and secure the living that Wickham, at one time, refused. Events from the past combined with threats in the present threaten to tear Lucy and Philip apart unless Darcy can help his friends save their blossoming love and rid Lucy of her uncle once and for all.

And Then Love, set in the spring before Darcy goes to Hertfordshire, is a Pride and Prejudice variation prequel and the first book in Leenie Brown’s Willow Hall Romance Series. If you like well-written sweet romance that features ruthless, scheming villains and characters who capture your heart and become your friends, then you’ll love this story about good triumphing over evil and a marriage of convenience that is so much more.

So put the kettle on, grab your copy of And Then Love, and make your first visit to Willow Hall, a place where love is bound to surprise you and which you will wish to visit over and over again.

Finally Mrs. Darcy (Dash of Darcy and Companions Collection Book 1) by Leenie Brown

Separated for Years ~ Reunited at Last

When Fitzwilliam Darcy does not return to Netherfield with his friend, Elizabeth Bennet’s hopes of ever finding happiness with the man to whom she has lost her heart are crushed.

Having confessed to playing a part in separating his friend from the woman he loved, Fitzwilliam Darcy finds himself cast off and ostracized. Uncertain of Elizabeth Bennet’s feeling for him, he chooses to bide his time and hope that his friend will one day forgive him.

As months stretch into years, hope fades and both Elizabeth and Darcy settle into life without each other, expecting that their paths will never cross again ─ until one night at a ball when fate in the form of a new uncle reunites them.
However, as old sparks burst into flames and the truth behind their separation comes to light, will Darcy and Elizabeth’s reunion be perfectly happy or will is always be tainted by betrayal?

Finally Mrs. Darcy is part of Leenie Brown’s Dash of Darcy collection of Pride and Prejudice inspired novellas. If you like well-written, fast-paced, sweet romance, then you will love this story of forgiveness, restoration, and reclaiming of true love by Leenie Brown.

So, put the kettle on, grab your copy of Finally Mrs. Darcy, and slip into a world of sweet romantic indulgence today.

Georgiana Darcy’s Diary: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice continued (Pride and Prejudice Chronicles Book 1) by Anna Elliott

Mr. Darcy’s younger sister searches for her own happily-ever-after…

The year is 1814, and it is springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.

Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy’s fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana’s domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana’s fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart–and rely on her courage–for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.

Georgiana Darcy’s Diary is Book 1 of the Pride and Prejudice Chronicles and is appropriate for all ages.

The Mystery of the Missing Heiress: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery (Miss Mary Investigates Book 0) by Riana Everly

It is the summer of 1811 and Fitzwilliam Darcy is consumed with worry. His sister and her new companion were expected at Pemberley three weeks ago, but they seem to have vanished into the air. Is Georgiana safe? Is she even still alive? And is Mrs. Younge a victim in some nefarious plan or is she behind the disappearance?

Darcy’s friend Ecclesford tells him of a smart young investigator who might be able to help… and at the same time he might help Ecclesford with a romantic problem of his own.

In this prequel variation to Pride and Prejudice, private investigator Alexander Lyons makes his debut and sets his remarkable intellect to work to help Ecclesford win his bride and to solve the mystery of the missing heiress!

This is a novella of about 19000 words.

Pride and Prosperity by Julia Fellowes

Can a gentleman change his manners and a lady change her mind?

IF it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a great fortune must be in want of a wife, mothers will go to great lengths to see their daughters have a real chance of marrying him.

Pride & Prosperity is a charming novelette inspired by Jane Austen’s highly esteemed story Pride & Prejudice.

Four Days in April by Maria Grace

Sweet, Austen-inspired treats, perfect with a cup of tea.

Full of hope and ripe with possibility, beginnings and new beginnings refresh the spirit with optimism and anticipation.

Four Days in April.

Two letters. Four Days. Everything changes.

After offering a most disastrous proposal of marriage and receiving a rebuke he will never forget, Fitzwilliam Darcy writes Elizabeth Bennet an equally memorable letter.

What if she answers it with one of her own?

A Fair Prospect: Volume I – Disappointed Hopes by Cass Grafton

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, A Fair Prospect is a tale of Darcy and Elizabeth told in three volumes

Battling the unprecedented feelings stirred by an innocent but intimate encounter with Fitzwilliam Darcy in the aftermath of his proposal, Elizabeth Bennet escapes to Town, and finds comfort in the presence of the handsome Nicholas Harington. Humbled by Elizabeth’s rejection, the last thing Darcy wants is to face her once again… especially when she’s already on the arm of another man. Harington seems to be a fair prospect for Elizabeth, but with memories of the last moments he spent with the Bennet beauty tormenting Darcy, he’s forced to come to terms with his indecisive heart…

A Fair Prospect

1. Volume I – Disappointed Hopes
2. Volume II – Darcy’s Dilemma
3. Volume III – Desperate Measures

An Heir for Pemberley by Jane Grix

Fitzwilliam Darcy has it all – a beautiful, intelligent wife who loves him and she is expecting their first child. But Darcy’s mother died in childbirth and he worries that he could lose it all.

An Heir for Pemberley is a variation to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It is a short story sequel, 4000 words long and takes about fifteen minutes to read. It is a quick escape to Pemberley.

Their adventure takes more twists and turns than does the original “Pride and Prejudice,” but the reader will enjoy the devotion displayed by Darcy and Elizabeth as they bring Wickham to the line in Lydia Bennnet’s defense, as well as their working their way through multiple misconstructions and vulnerabilities. Darcy’s final wooing of Elizabeth brings two very private individuals to a very public declaration of their love. considers what will happen if he does not succeed in bringing Mr. Wickham before a magistrate. Will his failure bring an end to their “bargain”? Or will true love prevail?

Coming Up Roses: Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Bennet Brothers Book 1) by Staci Hart

Bestselling author Staci Hart is back with a brand new romantic comedy and clever spin on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Meet the Bennet brothers, get to know Longbourne, and fall in love in this steamy enemies to lovers romcom.

Everyone hates parts of their job.
Maybe it’s the paperwork. Maybe it’s the day-to-day grind. Maybe it’s that client who never knows what they want, or the guy who always cooks fish in the microwave.
But not me. I love every corner of the Longbourne Flower Shop, every flower, every petal, every stem. I love the greenhouse, and I love Mrs. Bennet, my boss. I love creating, and I love being a florist. I don’t hate anything at all.
Except for Luke Bennet.
The Bennet brothers have come home to help their mom save the flower shop, and Luke is at the helm. His smile tells a tale of lust, loose and easy. He moves with the grace of a predator, feral and wild. A thing unbridled, without rules or constraint. When he comes home to save Longbourne, I almost can’t be mad at him. Almost.
He doesn’t remember that night I’ll never forget. That kiss, touched with whiskey and fire. It branded me like a red-hot iron. But it meant nothing to him.
Everyone hates part of their job, and I hate Luke Bennet.
Because if I don’t, I’ll fall in love with him.

Pride and Precipitation (Chick Flick Clique Sweet Romantic Comedy #1) by Heather Horrocks

Pride and Precipitation ~ A sweet enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy. 

Forecast: Romance with occasional bursts of laughter. 

Breezy Jones is crazy about the weather — rain or shine — which makes her job as the local television station’s meteorologist perfect. She’s even hoping the new buyers of her Aspen Grove station will make some positive changes. 

That’s before she meets the attractive new general manager, Noah Drake, who is determined to repackage everything — including Breezy’s down-home delivery and casual, girl-next-door appearance that seems too Pollyanna for him. He replaces her with a high-powered diva weathercaster and makes Breezy her off-screen assistant. 

With a flood of angry emails from the community, plummeting ratings, and incessant demands from the diva, it doesn’t take long for Noah to see which way the wind is blowing. 

Will the station survive the competitive clash between pride and precipitation? 
More importantly, can their blossoming attraction survive?

Come join the Chick Flick Clique at Candy’s Café for a good serving of friendship, family, films, and flirty sweet romance. It’s the first book in a humorous, heartwarming series set in Aspen Grove. 

Perusasion: Behind the Scenes by Various Authors; Edited by Susan Mason-Milks & Maria Grace

You pierce my soul.

Before Jane Austen wrote that romantic letter from Captain Frederick Wentworth to Anne Elliot, she crafted a masterful story of heartbreak and longing that still resonates with readers today.

But what of those scenes that Jane Austen never wrote?  What Persuasion fan doesn’t want to listen in on Anne and Wentworth’s first courtship, laugh at the follies and foibles of the Elliot family, sail along on Captain Wentworth’s harrowing adventures at sea or attend Wentworth and Anne’s wedding.

Twelve authors of Austen-inspired fiction:  Diana Birchall, Marilyn Brant, Jack Caldwell, L.L. Diamond, Maria Grace, Cassandra Grafton, Kara Louise, Susan Mason-Milks, Jane Odiwe, C. Allyn Pierson, Mary Lydon Simonsen, and Shannon Winslow collaborated to put this unique collection that fills in “missing” scenes from Austen’s classic work, sure to delight any true Persuasion fan.

Pride and Prejudice:The Other Way Round: A gender switched cover version of Jane Austen’s classic story by Anne Whitewall

What if Mr. Darcy were Miss Darcy? And Elizabeth Bennet were Elijah Bennet?

Elijah Bennet overhears Miss Darcy saying he is “tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me.’

And dislikes her instantly.

Mr. Bennet wants to marry off his sons to any eligible young gentlewoman. Lord Cather de Burgh wants to marry off his son to Miss Darcy. Wickham is up to no good as usual but this time, her victim is Lydior Bennet.

Will Elijah Bennet overcome his prejudice and Miss Darcy her pride?

The story’s the same but the genders are different.

You’ll enjoy exploring a genderswapped cover version of Pride and Prejudice.

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Sales

Confounding Caroline: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Marrying Elizabeth Book 1) by Leenie Brown

He thought his future was bleak, but a well-orchestrated misstep might just bring him the happiness he seeks.

Fitzwilliam Darcy has experienced the sadness that currently resides in the eyes of his friend, Charles Bingley. Determined to see Bingley happy, Darcy confesses his part in creating the despondence his friend now feels and prepares to suffer the separation that will ensue.

However, what he expects and what he gets are very different things. Instead of facing a lonely life filled with heartache, he finds himself standing at the beginning of a path leading to not only his friend’s happiness but his own as well.

It will not, however, be an easy path. There will be obstacles to overcome, but with a little help and scheming, no impediment will be too insurmountable – not even Caroline Bingley.

Confounding Caroline is the first book in Leenie Brown’s Marrying Elizabeth series of Pride and Prejudice inspired stories.  If you like well-written, sweet stories with determined heroes and surprising heroines who are willing to push the bounds of comfort and propriety to claim true love, then you will enjoy this story about out-scheming a schemer in the quest for the chance at a happily ever after.

So, put the kettle on, grab your copy of Confounding Caroline, and slip into a world of unexpected mischief and join Darcy on the first leg of his journey to happily ever after.

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[This book ends with a happy for now, and Darcy and Elizabeth’s story continues in the next book. Confounding Caroline can also be found in Marrying Elizabeth, Books 1-3 Compilation.]  

Henry: To Prove Himself Worthy (Other Pens Book 1) by Leenie Brown

He’s failed before, but with her help, this time, he might just succeed.

Henry Crawford has failed to secure the heart of a good woman before ─ and quite spectacularly so! There are few in town who have not heard of his scandalous affair. While his debacle might have proven great fodder for the gossips, it has left him with a shattered heart and a deep desire to change his ways.

However, change is never easy.

Old habits can die hard, and some friends may wish to see you say as you always were. Thankfully for Henry, there are others, such as Trefor Linton, who will wish to help and will offer his sister as a dance partner to help Henry ease his way into society.

While most girls her age dream of a rich and handsome husband, Constance Linton is looking for more. She wishes for an intelligent gentleman of good character who is not opposed to a bookish lady. But sifting through the dross in a ballroom in search of such a man is no easy task.

A gentleman with Henry’s reputation is not the sort of man for whom Constance seeks, yet she is not opposed to lending him her aid in achieving his desires.

What begins as a single dance will grow into a collaboration that will equip Henry with all he needs to win a woman of worth, while entangling hearts and leaving not only his own heart and reputation but also that of his friend and tutor at risk of being irreparably damaged.

Henry: To Prove Himself Worthy is part of Leenie Brown’s Other Pens Collection of books that pick up the storytelling pen where Jane Austen put it down. If you like well-written stories of sweet redemption, then you will love this story of facing the challenges that reformation can bring and discovering the pleasure that only deep, abiding love can provide.

So, put the kettle on, grab your copy of Henry: To Prove Himself Worthy, and let this sweet romance inspire a hope that even the most reprobate heart can, with care and determination, be transformed into that of a worthy gentleman.

Mr. Bingley Plans a Ball ( A Teatime Tales Novelette) by Leenie Brown

It’s a simple plan: propose, plan a ball, ensure his friend’s happiness. If only simple meant easy.

Mr. Bingley has returned to Netherfield as he promised, and he has come alone. However, he is planning to have guests. First, he will need to secure Miss Bennet’s acceptance of his proposal. Then, he’ll have to rid the area of a particular scoundrel. And then? Well, then, he can work on ensuring his friend’s happiness.

In theory, it seems simple. In practice, it’s going to take some quick thinking and shifting tactics to pull off the happiest Yuletide ball either he or his friend have ever attended.

Mr. Bingley Plans a Ball is a novelette of just over 17,500 words and is the second installment in Leenie Brown’s Teatime Tales Collection of Austen-inspired quick reads. If you’re looking for an entertaining escape from the everyday, where good intentions turn into a somewhat-muddled scheme, then you’ll love this story about the lengths to which one friend will go for another to make certain they are both happily matched.

So put the kettle on, download your copy of Mr. Bingley Plans a Ball, and steal away with Mr. Bingley for a few moments of sweet indulgence while he fumbles his way through planning a happily ever after or two.

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[This story was previously published in a MUCH shorter form as part of a Teatime Tales short story anthology. That original short story is now part of the first chapter of this novelette.]

No Other Choice (Choices Book 2) by Leenie Brown

Mary Bennet has never been the center of attention and rarely the object of any man’s affections, but that is about to change. Shortly after Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding, Mary travels to London to prepare for the season, a season she is determined to finish with either a husband or a glorious tale to tell, even if it means learning to tolerate Lord Rycroft.

Lord Samuel Rycroft is not pleased to learn he will be chaperoning his mother and her charge for the season, especially when that charge is Mary Bennet, a young lady whom he has an unfortunate tendency to insult. But when his heart becomes involved, what was to be an arduous task of endurance becomes a quest to earn her approval and acceptance, even if it means giving her no other choice.

Note: Story is approximately 37,000 words in length.

Through Every Storm (Darcy and. A Pride and Prejudice Variations Collection Book 4) by Leenie Brown

Forced to marry. Deeply in love. If only each knew the other’s heart.

A gambler, a profligate and forcibly married to the silly daughter of a country gentleman, no one expected George Wickham to amount to much, nor did they expect him to fall deeply in love with his wife. When that wife takes an unplanned trip in the company of another gentleman, leaving Wickham and her children behind, he will be forced to face his fears and fight for those he holds dear.

When her funds run low, Lydia Wickham chooses to travel to Derbyshire to seek help from her sister. What she finds when her husband arrives to take her home is not the kind of help she expected, but exactly the kind she needs. Will she be able to overcome her shortcomings and prove herself worthy of the one person she cannot bear to disappoint?

Through Every Storm is just one of Leenie Brown’s numerous Pride and Prejudice variations. If you like well-written stories of sweet redemption, then you will love this story about a couple whom everyone discarded as hopeless finding the help they need to save their love and claim a happily ever after that seemed lost forever.

So, put the kettle on, pick up your copy of Through Every Storm, and step into a sweet romance, set eight years after the close of Pride and Prejudice, that is filled with trials and fears and tinged with the vibrant hues of hope, redemption, and love that is worth fighting for.

[This novella can also be found in the Darcy and… Collection Anthology.]

Forced to Wed: A Pair of Pride & Prejudice Novel Variations by Zoe Burton

Two books. A choice made. A plan carried out. A pair of Happily Ever Afters.

Decisions and Consequences: Elizabeth Bennet has received two proposals of marriage, neither of which she wishes to accept. However, refusing both is not an option.

Fitzwilliam Darcy finds Elizabeth’s pointed dislike of him refreshing in its honesty, but convincing a lady who dislikes you to marry you is going to take some work—and some scheming.

Matches Made at Netherfield: Though Fitzwilliam Darcy finds Elizabeth Bennet enchanting, he has no intention of making a match with her.

Elizabeth has even less desire to marry Darcy, for to her, he is no more than the slightly rude friend of her neighbor.

Forced to marry, can they alter their expectations or are they destined to live in misery?

This two-book anthology is 94,859 words and 575 pages in print.

Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Jane Austen’s Dragons Book 1) by Maria Grace

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a dragon.

Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley has the good fortune to be in possession of the first English firedrake egg laid in a century. Or, at least, he was until some miscreant stole it.

Mr. Darcy tracks the thief to Hertfordshire. Catching the thief, however, proves to be an entirely different kettle of brimstone, especially when he encounters fellow Dragon Keeper, Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn.

Elizabeth Bennet’s deep connection to dragons and remarkable grasp of their lore make her the ideal companion for finding the egg. It’s too bad that from their introduction she finds Darcy arrogant, conceited, and selfishly disdainful of the feelings
of others.

Time is running out for Darcy to win Elizabeth’s trust and recover the precious egg before it hatches, and the fragile peace between humans and dragons is lost forever.

Meryton meets Pern in a fantastical regency romp bound to delight readers of Jane Austen and Anne McCaffrey alike.

Book 1 in the Jane Austen’s Dragons series.

Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley: a Pride & Prejudice sequel and companion to The Darcys of Pemberley by Shannon Winslow

What’s Georgiana Darcy’s story? Jane Austen tells us so little in “Pride and Prejudice” that we’re left to wonder. How did the early loss of her parents shape Miss Darcy’s character? And what about her near-disastrous affair with Mr. Wickham? Is that the true source of her shyness? She adores her brother and his new wife Elizabeth, but will their guiding influence be enough to steer Georgiana clear of new trouble as she comes of age and falls in love again?

This work is intended as a companion of sorts to “The Darcys of Pemberley” (sequel to “Pride and Prejudice”), with the timelines of the two running parallel. Both novels are unique and complete in themselves, but together they supply a richer reading experience than either one alone. The earlier book focused primarily on Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship during their early married life. There was a third Darcy represented in the title, however. Now she and her courtship story take center stage in “Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley.”

For Myself Alone: A Jane Austen Inspired Novel by Shannon Winslow

From the author of “The Darcys of Pemberley” comes a new story straight out of the world of Jane Austen and told in a style reminiscent of her six classic novels.

Set in nineteenth century Hampshire and Bath, For Myself Alone is the tale of Josephine Walker, a bright, young woman whose life is turned upside-down by an unexpected inheritance. With a tempting fortune of twenty thousand pounds, she’s suddenly the most popular girl in town. Yet Jo longs to be valued for who she is, not for her bank balance. She cannot respect the men who pursue her for her money, and the only one she does admire is considered the property of her best friend. Now, even the motives of her new fiancé are suspect. Does he truly love her for herself alone? There’s one sure, but extreme, way to find out… if she has the courage to take it.

“For Myself Alone” will appeal to those who long for more Jane Austen, for more stories like the ones she told wrritten in the elegant language of her time. Just for fun, the author has sprinkled lines from Jane Austen works throughout the text for fans to find.

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As always, I’ve found a bunch of goodies for me to read! How about you?

Until next time,

Happy reading!